Hand tool



Aug. 14, 1962 H. LUSSKIN ETAL HAND TOOL.

2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 5. 1959 A ULL/ANS, LUS/v4 /Z/JLPH Lussk/N INVENTOR.

4 TTOzA/Ev/ Aug. 14, 1962 H. LUssKlN ETAL 3,049,018

HAND TOOL Filed Feb. s, 1959 2 sheets-sheet 2 /Zou LussK/N .f5 /Z7 Lm N S, Lusskm/ RALPH Lussk//v j IN V EN TOR` ilnited States Patent @time 3,049,018 Patented Aug. 14, 1962 3,049,018 HAND TOOL Harold Lusskin, Lillian S. Lusskin, and Ralph Lusskin, all of 41 W. 70th St., New York, N.Y. Filed Feb. 3, 1959, Ser. No. 790,879 1 Claim. (Cl. 74--S9) This invention relates to tools and, more particularly, to a hand operated mechanical tool.

There are many instances when it is either necessary or desirable -to use a hand operated tool of the type employing a rotating element, such as a drill bit or screw driver bit. In certain types of these situations, it is awkward or diihcult to use any such tool that requires the use of both hands of the operator, such as in the c-ase where it is necessary to hold the object upon which the tool is working ,with the other hand, such as in the case of inserting pins into bone structure during orthopedic treatment. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a hand tool embodying a rotating element that can 'be conveniently operated Iwith one hand, that is simple in construction, eicient in operation, and which can also be used for precision work.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a manually operated tool having a rotating shaft that is selectively actuated in response to a squeezing action upon a pair of arms drivingly connected thereto.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a manually operated tool of the type described in which the rotating shaft has a chuck at one end for adjustably securing a tool element thereto.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a hand tool of the above type in which the rotating shaft includes a longitudinal bore communicating with the interior of the chuck, whereby elongated surgical pins can be adjustably secured therein for insertion into one tissue.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is `a side elevational view of a hand tool made in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view7 with parts broken away, of certain parts of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1 in an actuated position;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse cross sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse cross sectional view taken along line 4 4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the tool shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the tool shown in FIGURE 1 illustrating one type of use therefor; and

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view, similar to FIG URE l, showing a slightly modied form of construction.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGURES 1 to 5 thereof, a manually operated tool 10 4made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a convoluted torsion spring 12 formed from spring wire having one end 13 connected to a base arm 15 and the opposite end 14 thereof connected to a nger arm 18. These arms 15, 18 are thus pivotally secured at one end for relative movement with respect to each other in a substantially common plane. The base arm 15 has an indent 16 for positioning the thumb of a hand, while the finger arm 18 has a plurality of smaller indents 19 for positioning the lingers of the hand therein.

A shaft 2t) made in accordance with one form of the present invention is provided lwith a longitudinal bore 22 that extends completely therethrough. An annular groove 23 at one end of the shaft 20 is rotatably supported within a sleeve 25 integral with the free end of the base arm 15. As is more clearly shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawing, a pair of diametrically opposite and radially inwardly extending pins 26 secured to the sleeve 2.5 are received within this annular groove 23 of the shaft 20, thus rotatably securing the shaft therein. The opposite end of the shaft 20 is provided with an integral collar 28 that adjustably supports a chuck 29 therein which is operated by means of a key 30, whereby a tool element may be selectively clamped therewithin.

With reference now more specifically to FIGURE 3 of the drawing, the finger arm 18 is provided with an upwardly opening yoke 34 at its free end. This yoke 34 acts as a cradle for receiving the intermediate portion of the shaft 20 therewithin. As is also noted in FIGURE 2 of the drawing, the mid section of the shaft 20 is provided with a helical guide groove 36 into which `follower pins 35 carried on opposite sides of the yoke 34 project. Thus, in response to relative movement between the `arms 15, 13, the follower pins 35 of `the yoke 34 traveling through the helical guide groove 36 effect rotational movement of the shaft 20. This rotational movement is, of course, irnparted to the chuck 29 and any tool element supported therein.

In FIGURE 7 of the drawing, a slightly modified form of shaft construction 40 is shown wherein one end thereof is similarly provided with an annular groove 41 that receives the diametrically inwardly extending pins 26 of the sleeve 25 of the base arm 15. The opposite end of this shaft also supports the chuck 29 within the integral collar 28. However, the intermediate portion of ythis shaft 40 is provided with `a first helical groove 4Z yand an additional helical groove 44 which encompass the shaft in opposite directions. Thus, `by such conventional spiralling structure associated with known types of follower pins, it is possible to provide a single direction of rotation of shaft 40 and the tool element carried by the chuck 29.

In both embodiments of the present invention, it will #be noted that the tool element is rotated during both the opening and closing movements of the arms 15, 18. The convoluted torsion spring 12 tends to return the arms 15, 18 toward the open position shown in FIGURE l, so that after the arms have been manually squeezed together to the closed position, as shown in FIGURE 2, the release of pressure thereon will enable the torsion spring 12 to return them to the open position, whereby the unit will be ready for the next cycle of operation.

While this tool can be used for substantially any purpose in which it is necessary to provide a rotary tool `action with a single hand operation, one particular use therefor is illustrated in FIGURE 6 of the drawing. A surgical pin 45 is inserted into the longitudinal bore 22 of the shaft 20, 40, and extends outwardly through the chuck 29 which may be used to clamp it in any desired outwardly extended position. The physician may then grasp the patients limb with one hand and with the other hand can actuate the tool to impart the necessary rotary `action to the pin 45 to drive it into the bone tissue. After the pin has been inserted the desired amount, it can be cut in a conventional manner. If desired, yany other type of tool element may be secured within the chuck 29, such as a screw driver bit, drill bit, or the like. While the direction of rotation of the shaft is continuously alternated `because of the constant drive connection between the arms and the shaft during both the opening and closing movements of the arms, certain types of drill bits can be used to cut in both directions of rotation, while other types of tool elements can Ibe used Iby proper manipulation of the tool, such as lby partial withdrawal during the opening movement of the arms.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is 3 to 'be understood that such is not to lbe construed as imparting limitations upon the invention, which is best defined by the claim appended hereto.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A hand tool comprising a Ibase arm and a iinger arm normally diverging from each other, a spring connection between corresponding lower ends of said anrns for relative inward 4movement `against spring pressure on application ofiinger pressure, a cylindrical shaft having spiral grooving inter-mediate the ends, a bearing ring carried by the upper end of said base arm for one end of said shaft and means between said ring and shaft to prevent axial sliding of said shaft therein, said finger arm at the upper end thereof having follower means engagable with said spiral grooving to effect rotation of the shaft in response to relative movement in either direction of the base arm and linger arm, and chuck means secured to the other end of said shaft for clampingly supporting a working tool for rotation with said shaft, said shaft having a longitudinal bore therethrough and communicating with the axial opening in the chuck means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 540,136 Blaisdell May 28, 1895 1,590,842 McMillin June 29, 1926 2,267,925 Johnston Dec. 30, 1941 2,301,413 Kilcup Nov. l0, 1942 2,421,901 Murad etal June 10, 1947 

